Lessons From an Old Man
Jan 21 2024
Who knew we all
felt insecure,
thought we were imposters,
were sure
the spotlight, unmercifully bright, was on us
as if caught in the act.
If anything, just the goal-line moves.
The beautiful
still see their blemishes,
while the successful
could have always done better
or feel it's undeserved.
And celebrity
doesn't change a thing.
But now that I'm older
I do know this.
That everyone suffers
struggles
misunderstands.
Feels the critical gaze of others.
Is lugging baggage
they can’t let go.
How empowering to know
I’m not the only one.
That no one's normal
and average is merely a number.
That most people are so self-absorbed
they only notice themselves
and couldn't possibly judge.
Amazing
how you can hide in plain sight
. . . even with nothing to hide.
And the child inside
you never really grow out of.
The primal drives
immaturity
temperamental fits,
the id you can't suppress.
Little kids
in grown-up bodies
who are needy as they ever were;
pouting, whining, impetuous,
seeking attention,
and most of the time scared.
Or maybe I'm wrong, and this is just me. That everyone else is a secure confident adult, and always was. Not faking it. Not being scrutinized or judged. Free of baggage. Their inner child wise beyond her years.
When I think of the man-child and unregulated id, the person who immediately comes to mind is Trump! A despicable human being. But who at least makes the rest of us (excluding, of course, his deluded and ill-informed MAGA warriors) feel so much better about ourselves.
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